Fanny’s House of Music: Nashville’s most comfortable music store

It takes a lot of guts to start a music store in Nashville, aka Music City, USA. But five minutes with co-owners Pamela Cole and Leigh Maples will clue you in on why their store, Fanny’s House of Music, is still up and running in East Nashville 12 years later.

Launched in the middle of the 2008 recession, Fanny’s was built with a goal of providing a safe space for customers from all walks of life. But Cole and Maples do have a soft spot for young girls who want to make some noise with a guitar. “Leigh Maples and I decided to open a music store that’s comfortable for everybody, including women and children”, Cole tells us. “We are the only music store that promotes women the way that we do – in the world. It’s a serious mission that we have, to make sure that every little girl gets to play a power chord – and be loud!”

Cole and Maples, who met in college, strive to provide their patrons with the same happy memories of music-making as they had, growing up. Nestled on the corner of S11th and Holly St, their store is not at all what you’d expect from a Nashville music store. Where many other stores pride themselves on rare, vintage gear, Fanny’s provides a collection of player-grade instruments complete with scratches, dinks and what Cole describes as “mojo”. That does not, however, take away anything from the quality of these instruments.

Apart from gear, the store also sells random bits and bobs, from vintage clothing to table decorations and even some furniture. In the back, Fanny’s has a small space set up for lessons where young girls can realise their dreams of rocking out onstage.

Fanny’s may not be the largest music store in Nashville, but it certainly is the most comfortable.

Watch our video above to learn more about the store, and how its curious name came about.

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